Immigration to the United States in the 19th Century

Immigration to the United States (1836-1914)

• Over 30 million people immigrated to the United States, including a 27-year-old political exile from Cuba, José Martí, who arrived in 1880.

Early Latino Community in New York

• The earliest community of Latinos in New York consisted of Puerto Ricans and Cubans who arrived along the trade routes that brought tobacco, coffee, and sugar into the US.

Territorial Expansion and Latino Presence

• The huge Latino presence in the United States is a direct result of the nation's territorial expansion.
• Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans came to the US, with more Puerto Ricans in the US than on the island itself.
• Nearly 1 million Mexicans came to the US, following the tracks that brought silver and copper to America.

José Martí's Life

• José Martí was a romantic, an idealist, and a poet who wrote his first poem at age 15, inspired by the Cuban uprising against Spanish rule.
• Martí was tried for treason and sentenced to forced labor, but was exiled from Cuba and wandered the world for 10 years.
• He arrived in New York in 1880, where he was venerated as the father of Cuban independence.

Martí's Experience in the United States

• Martí came to the US as a safe place to plot for the independence of his country, attracted by the dream of equality and freedom.
• He worked as a correspondent for leading South American journals, writing on every aspect of life in America.
• He reported on various events, including the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Haymarket Square affair, which gave him insight into American society.
• However, he became disillusioned with the US due to racism and inequities, and began to envision a Cuba for people of all races and economic backgrounds.

Martí's Political Activism

• Around 1891, Martí changed from an observer to a full-time political actor, launching a speech to summon Cubans to take action for independence.
• From the safety of exile, he organized an insurrection and went to Key West and Ybor City, where he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party and published a newspaper, Patria.
• He warned of the threat of America's growing power to Latin America and advocated for Cuban independence.

Explore the history of immigration to the United States in the 19th century, including the experiences of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Learn about notable individuals like José Martí and the Latino community in New York.